The effectiveness of UV water sterilization and its ability to eliminate bacteria and viruses is a common question in the field of microbiology, especially in the wake of the increasing popularity of UV sterilization products. To address these concerns, let’s dive in!
UV light has been used for disinfection and sterilization since the mid-20th century, and with the advancements in technology, especially in UV bulbs, its wide-ranging uses have become more widespread. UV sterilization can be used to disinfect a range of items, including water, air, fruits, vegetables, surgical instruments, tablet computers, toys, and surfaces.
It’s important to note that not all types of UV light are effective in sterilization. UV refers to a range of electromagnetic waves with higher frequency and energy than visible violet light, and it’s divided into three types: UVA, UVB, and UVC. For sterilization purposes, only UVC (100-280 nm) has the energy required to kill microorganisms effectively.
Studies have shown that UVC at 254 nm is effective against a wide range of microorganisms, including foodborne pathogens, natural microbiota, molds, and yeasts. The time required to kill each species varies based on its size and shape, which affects its UV absorption.
UV water sterilization, also known as UV water disinfection or ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI), works by breaking down chemical bonds and altering the structure of DNA, RNA, and proteins, rendering a microorganism unable to multiply and therefore, considered dead. The amount of time required by a UV water purifier depends on the total energy applied, which is affected by the exposure time and distance from the light source.
Like any method of sterilization, the use of UV water purifier also has its pros and cons. It’s important to weigh the advantages and disadvantages before choosing to use it.
Pros for UV Sterilization
The advantage of using UV water purifier is that it’s hassle-free and doesn’t require any chemicals, resulting in no chemical residue left behind. Another benefit is that it’s capable of eliminating various microorganisms, including drug-resistant bacteria.
Cons for UV Sterilization
It’s important to be mindful of the dangers of UVC to humans, which is why UV sterilization is usually done using lamps equipped with protective shields. To avoid direct exposure to UVC, it’s best to avoid skin and eye contact.
One of the challenges when UV is used in water treatment is that it can be blocked by suspended solids in the water. Therefore, in order to achieve an effective elimination of microorganisms in wastewater, it needs to be pretreated.
Another limitation is that UVC can cause significant damage to proteins and DNA/RNA, making them unsuitable for use in biomedical products. For example, UVC sterilization can cause so much damage to the surface proteins of viruses that they cannot be used as vaccines. A different kind of UV inactivation method is employed for biomedical products to preserve viral proteins while effectively inactivating the viruses. This is the method we use for our purified virus products, as we want to use the intact proteins of the UV treated viruses for biomedical purposes such as generating antibodies.
We provide UV water treatment equipment including UV Water Purifier for Home, Industrial UV Water Purifier, and Municipal Open Channel UV Water Treatment System. UV sterilization is a good choice, especially in water treatment applications. It doesn’t use any chemicals, so it won’t cause any further pollution. Other benefits include ultra-fast processing speed, extremely low operating cost, ease of use and being a more environment-friendly solution to water treatment than traditional chlorination.
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